Tip guard for skate blades



INVENTOR AGENT March 20,- 1962 R. c. BAUER TIP GUARD FOR SKATE BLADES Filed May 2o, 19Go Rc. BAuEp-z,

United States Patent O 3,026,119 TIP GUARD FOR SKATE BLADES Roy Charles Bauer, 191 Lincoln Road, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Filed May 20, 1960, Ser. No. 30,494 2 Claims. (Cl. 280-11.18)

The invention relates generally to tubular ice skates and particularly to those which are used in hockey playing and so have relatively short blades as compared to racing skates; a main object of the invention being to provide protectors or masks for the rear ends of the skate blades. t

Skates of the tubular type usually have a blade assembly which includes a blade held rigidly in position by a relatively elongated tubular supporting member. In a hockey skate as herein contemplated said tubular member usually tapers relatively abruptly at its ends giving each said end a torpedo like shape.

According to the broadest aspects of the invention, the protection or masking of the rearward end of said assembly is achieved by fitting a guard member to said end, and fastening the same in position against accidental dislodgement.

It will be appreciated that such fastening of said guard member must not only be resistant to failure under the hazards which are normal to the use of the skate, but such guard member should also be unobtrusive and no more cumbersome than actually necessary, so as to minimise the introduction of new hazards stemming from such guard in use.

Fastening the guard to a hockey skate is rendered more difficult by the torpedo shaped conformation of said tube end affording a most unsuitable and inefcient surface for gripping by said guard member.

This problem is substantially greater with hockey skates than with relatively long-bladed racing skates for example, wherein a guard for the end of the blade assembly may be held in position simply by a mechanical, spring grip on the main body of the tubular supporting member; the skate end being long and straight enough for the purpose. Conversely, this expedient is not available in the case of short-bladed hockey skates whose ends are relatively short and almost entirely torpedo-shaped.

Accordingly the invention seeks to provide a guard for the end of a tube skate which is both relatively efficient and unobtrusive in use and relatively resistant to inadvertant removal under normal operating conditions.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a guard having the foregoing advantages which can be cemented relatively firmly to the blade assembly.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a guard having the foregoing advantages which is shaped and adapted to enhance the bond between itself and said blade assembly.

The invention seeks to achieve the foregoing and other advantages which will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention by the provision, in a tube skate including a blade assembly having an elongated tube containing a protruding blade, of a guard for a pointed end of said blade assembly comprising resilient webs overlying the respective surfaces of said blade assembly end, and cemented thereto in close, intimate, tension-free relation, and a thickened welt masking said end and integrally inter-connecting said webs.

A preferred embodiment will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which like reference devices refer to like parts thereof throughout the various views and diagrams and in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of a tube skate, mounted on a boot, and fitted with a guard according to the invention,

3,026,119 Patented Mar. 20, 1962 FIG. 2 is an exploded side elevation of the end of the blade assembly and guard shown in FIG. l, with parts of the guard cut away to reveal its construction,

FIG. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the blade assembly and guard along the line III-4H of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional end elevation of the blade assembly and guard along the line IV-IV of FIG. l, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional end elevation of the blade assembly and guard along the line Ve-V of FIG. 1.

The type of skate to which the present invention is primarily applicable has already been briefly described and is shown in more detail in FIG. 1. The Skate S there shown will be seen to comprise a blade assembly 10 fastened to pillars 12 and 14 and strut 16 which are in turn mounted on heel plate 18 and sole plate 20 respectively, fastened to boot B in known manner.

Blade assembly 10 itself is comprised of skate blade 22 which is mounted in and supported by supporting member or tube 24, lips 26 being provided therealong adjacent an axial opening or slot 28 therein for gripping said blade 22 iirmly with a portion thereof protruding therefrom.

From FIG. 2 it will be seen that at the rearward end 3l) of blade assembly 10, tube 24 is progressively pinched or attened together giving a somewhat torpedo shaped conformation to `the end of the blade assembly 10, tapering towards the point thereof, such tapering commencing adjacent pillar 12 and continuing for substantially the entire length of end 36.

Attention may now be directed to guard 34 shown generally in FIG. 1 in position on end 30 of blade assembly 10. The remaining FIGS. 2 to 5 show the guard 34 in more detail from which it will be seen to be comprised of a pair of webs 36 shaped to conform to the contours of the respective side surfaces of end 30 of assembly 10, and a thickened Welt 38 integrally inter-connecting webs 36 along two sides thereof and forming them into an opensided envelope for said end 30 of assembly 10. Ribs 4i) are provided along the lower edges of webs 36 for fitting around the lower edges of lips 26 and contacting blade 22 at the point at which it emerges therefrom (as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5).

It is noteworthy that the construction of webs 36 is such as to enable them to form close, intimate contact with the respective side surfaces of end 30 and to reduce or minimise any tendency to spring away or become separated therefrom.

A further feature of interest in Webs 36 is the fact that they are constructed to contact both tube 24, and lips 26 thereof, which lips 26 are themselves of considerable breadth, thereby providing a substantial area of contact for webs 36 in addition to tube 24.

In use guard 34 is cemented in position on end 30 of assembly 1i), as shown in FIG. 1, with webs 36 bonded firmly to both tube 24 and lips 26 (at end 30) and ribs 4i) bonded to blade 22 and fitting around lips 26. In this position welt 38 will be seen to overlie a considerable portion of the periphery or profile of end 30 and mask the point thereof; the lower portion of blade 22 protruding therefrom being shielded to some extent, by the thickening of welt 38 and altering the profile of end 30.

It may be noted here that the ribs 40 serve several useful purposes. For example, they extend the area of adhesion and also thicken a relatively vulnerable edge. In addition thereto, however, the location of said ribs 40 below lips 26 as hereinbefore described endows the guard 34 with additional resistance to forces which are encountered in normal use and which conduce to accidental dislodgement of the part. A

It will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that guard 34 may advantageously be molded in the appropriate shape from any suitable elastomeric plastic or like substance such as will preferably endow guard 34 with a degree of resilience sucient to absorb substantial impacts; such substance being also preferably relatively tough and wear resistant and capable of being produced with a smooth and blunt exterior surface.

It need hardly be indicated that the substance herein visualized should also be inuenced by temperature and adhesive considerations.

The foregoing is a preferred embodiment of the invention and is here described by Way of example only. I do not limit myself to the specific construction illustrated other than as specied in the appended claims which are intended to include all modifications which do not depart from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In a tube skate which includes a blade assembly coming to a point at one of its ends and consisting of an elongated tube which is torpedo-shaped at said end and has an axial slot with lbroad lips containing a protruding blade, a guard for a said end of said blade assembly comprising, resilient webs molded to conform to and respectively overlying the surfaces of said torpedo-shaped tube and lips at said blade assembly end, said Webs being cemented in close, intimate and tension-free contactual relation to said tube and lips, and a thickened welt masking said point, and changing the prole of the said end;

said webs having also thickened ribs adhesively engaging said blade at its point of protrusion from said lipped slot.

2. In a tube skate which includes a blade assembly coming toa point at one of its ends and consisting of an elongated tube which is torpedo shaped at the said end and has an axial lipped slot formed therein containing a protruding blade, a guard for said end of said blade assembly comprising, resilient webs molded to conform to and overlying the respective surfaces of said torpedoshaped tube and lips at said blade assembly end, said Webs being cemented in close, intimate and tension-free contactual relation to said tube and lips, and a thickened welt masking said point and integrally inter-connecting said webs; said webs having thickened ribs adhesively engaging said blade at its point of protrusion from said lipped slot.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 l l I 

